Change-speed gear for motor cars or other power-propelled vehicles



N. E. E. SGRENSEN CHANGE SPEED GEAR FOR MOTOR CARS OR OTHER POWER PROPELLED VEHICLES Dec. 11, 1928.

Filed Feb. 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wyzi 5!?2'3135; BY WW4 ATTORNEYS.

Dec 11, 1928.

N. E. E. SORENSEN CHANGE SPEED GEAR FOR MOTOR CARS OR OTHER POWER PROPELLED VEHICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1928 INVENTOR. 7] ggzs'd'renscn WX EZQ ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES NIELS EDVARD EINAR SilRENSEIT, OF SAFVENAS, GOTTENBORG; SWEDEN.

.GHANGE-SPEED GEAR FOR MOTOR CARS OR OTHER PGWER-PROPELLED VEHICLES.v

Application filed February 24,

A further object of my invention is a change speed gear where destructive shocks when changing speed are effectively removed so that the speed'changing occurs smoothly and easily.

My invention can be carried out in various modifications, and though I have described and illustrated herein a special embodiment with some modifications, I am anxious to point out, that I do not want to limit myself to such embodiments, but my invention can be carried out in a plurality of other ways within the scope of the claims, and the em bodiments here described and shown are to be considered exclusively as examples only.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the change speed gear of a rather elementary design,

Fig. 2 shows an axial section on the line IIII in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show diagrammatically modifications by which the gear can be de-v signed to develop two further speeds in the ahead direction as well as two speeds in reverse direction,

Fig. 6 is a geometrical illustration of the main parts adapted to facilitate the understanding of the calculation of t-e various speeds.

On the drawings, similar or like parts are designated with the same references in all the figures. The gear a whole has the appearance of a planetary gearing operating a counter shaft. lVithin the casing 1 there are mounted two co-axial shafts 2 and 3 the first mentioned of which is the driving shaft, for instance the engine shaft of a motor or the pedal shaft of cycle or the like, and the shaft 3 a free going shaft on which the gear wheels are mounted. The driven counter shaft is designated with 10. V

The centre or proper sun wheel 4 is keyed 1328. Serial No. 256,700, and in Germany September 16, 1927.

ing three such pinions are shown, each ro tatable about a pin 7 attached to the disc 5, and all the pinions meshing with the toothed outer rim of the sun wheel 4. Encircling the planetary pinio'ns 6 is rotatably mounted a ring or orbit gear 8 with interior teeth mesli- .ing with the planetary pinions 6. The outor rim of the orbit gear 8 is designed as a sprocket wheel which operates a sprocket wheel 11 on the counter shaft by means of a chain 9. Another sprocket wheel 12 on the counter shaft 10 cooperates by means of a chain 13 with a sprocket wheel 14 keyed on the shaft 3. The wheels 11 and 12 can either be keyed on the shaft 10 or freely mounted thereon and provided to be temporarily con nected therewith, the one or the other or both simultaneously. Such a loose connection is provided especially for the modifications shown in Figs. 35, which are more particu-.

larly described hereinafter. Clutches suited for said purpose can be of arbitrary design and are not shown in the drawings, as they can be readily understood by anybody skilled in the art.

The means to perform the changes in speed are shown diagrammatically in Figs. 25 inelusive, and I want to declare, that what is shown therein are to be regarded exclusively as diagrammatical examples for the purpose only to materializehow the different speeds can be obtained. The drawing must not be reckoned as a definite design for the practical performance of the invention.

The speed changing means comprises a finger 15 one end of which is formed as a nut and is movable along a rotary worm 18 within a radial slot 1.7 in a disc 16 keyed to the driving shaft 2. The radial displacement of the finger 15 within the slot 17 is performed by revolvingthe screw without permitting it to move axially, and said revolving is achieved by a conical pinion 19 meshing with a conical wheel 23 that is rotatably mounted on the. shaft 2. A. sleeve 21 the outer cylindrical surface of whichis provided with a helical groove in which a pin 24 in the hub of the wheel 3 meshes is also mounted on the shaft 2. The sleeve 21 can be axially displaced along ut not rotated about the shaft 2 by a change gear lever 22 cooperating with a ring 220 in a peripheral groove in the sleeve 21 as is generally known from similar mechanical appliances. The movement of the sleeve 21 causes rotation of the gear 23 in both directions according to the direction of movement of the sleeve 21. l l hen the Wheel thus turned the pinion 19 transmits said movement to the worm 18 whereby the finger is displaced in the slot in the disc 16 in all momentary angular positions of said disc. The revolving oil the wheel 23 is performed by sliding the sleeve 21 along the shaft 2 whereby the helical groove causes the pin 2+1 and therewith the wheel 23 to turn through an angle corresponding to the pitch of the helical groove 20 oi sleeve 2-1. v

The sprocket wheel 14:, a disc 25 and the central sun wheel 4 are rigidly connected with the shaft 3, so that they establish unit. The disc 25, the disc and the orbit gear 8 are each provided with a lug 26, 27, 28 respectively which lugs project radially in such a way that each them will make contact with the linger 15, it said linger becomes displaced radially so far that its momentary distance from the centre of the shaft 2 corresponds to the position of the one or the other of the lugs 26, 2' 28. If for instance the linger 15 is positioned at the same height as the lug 26 or the sun wheel disc 25 said linger when the disc revolves with the shaft 2 contacts with the lug 26 and carries this lug and the disc 25 with the result that the sun wheel and sprocket wheel 14L become coupled to the shaft 2 and are caused to follow the revolving thereol thus transmitting said motion in a reduced degree to the shaft 10 by the chain 13 and sprocket wheel 1.2. It the finger 15 is positioned in front of the in; 2'! the motion of the disc bred and the axial displacement lo will be tlansm to the disc 5, andit the linger 15 is made to cooperate th the lug 28 the outer orbit gear 8 with the chain 9 and the sprocket wheel 11 will be caused to transmit the rotation o t disc ti and shaft 2 in an enlarged degree to the shatt 10. l3.if3l113."t61 the result and object of these different coupling positions will be clearly described.

' As mentioned before all the figures are very diagrammatic, hence the actual design ol the parts which transmit the motion :lrom the shaft 2 to shattll) through the sun gear l and the orbit gear 8, the nlanetary pin ion disc 5 1.; in no means restricted tot-he embodiments here described and shown. Figures 8, 4 and 5 are still more diagrammatical than Figs, 1 and 2, and will now be described. All 'hese figures show brake arrangements whico. are nondispensable, if one wants to more than three different speeds with one and the same specimen of the device. 3 illustrates a brake 2% to l-reep the orbit gear 8 stationary. F g. l shows a similar brake b0 :ter the sun l- .nd 5 hows an,

V A sleeve 52 mounted on the shaft .3 can he slid axially by means of a lever lor ins ance is the case with sleeve 21 and lever 22. The sleeve 32 is provided with *e p rpendicularly projecting lingers El h by sliding the sleeve to the right can be ierted each through horizontal holes 35 111 the d sc 5 and, if then the pinlons 6 are in position through holes 36 in them the pinions l :ome locked to the disc 5 and prevented rom rotating on their ins 7. The consequence is that, when the disc 5 is revolved by cooperation between linger 15 and lug 2?, the pinions 6 are meshing with the sun gear l and the orbit gear 8, thus constituting a rigid clutch between said two gears causing them to rotate with the disc lhe same result, viz that the sun gears a and the orbit gear 8 and the disc 5 be rotated simultaneously will of course occur it the one or the other of the gears l or S is made to revolve by cooperation etween linger l5 and the respective l 26 l. 'uently 1+ 29* fl er the a r for the sprocket wheel 1 l a sprocket wheel 12. in order to )lii iv t 10 matter 1 have supposed that id has the same radius r sun *l, and that the y 8 is the same set wheel rim of cltet wheel ,rcsponcin 531' oil? the orbit as the line of the spree f un wheel.

l vii the first treat 'n l .d 2 wherewill be ascertained.

lever 22 the sleeve 21 helical slit 20 and pin 23 to such an angle that the worm 18 moves the timer 15 in cooperation with the lug; whereby the gear a and sprocket whee? t most simple ito lowing cases y means of the lCl so far that the 2s; torn the wheel c are made -.o revolve with the driving shaft 2, thus transmitting the motion thereof to shaft 10 by means of chain 13 and sprocket whee 12.

will thus create three different In aunit of time the angular displacement of shaft 10 will be If now the two sprocket wheels 11 and 12 are both keyed to the shaft 10, the torsion will betransmitted to the orbit gear 8 by the chain 9. That has the only result that gear 8, pinions 6 and disc are brought to an idle revolving condition without any influence on the motion of the shaft 10.

2. If the lever22 is swung in the opposite direction, the sleeve 20 will be turned in such a way that the worm 18 places the finger 15 in cooperation with lug 28 on the orbit gear 8, whereby the motion of shaft 2 is transmitted to shaft by aid of chain 9 and sprocket wheel 11, and the angular displace ment in a unit of time reads Also in this case it is immaterial whether the wheel 12 is keyed to shaft 1O as that will disc 5 is made to revolve with the shaft 2, so

that the pinions 6'roll along the two gears 4t and 8. According to the diflierence in the radii of said two wheels they will revolve but with relatively different speeds, transmitting each its speed to wheels 12 and 11 respectively. If now the two sprocket wheels 11 and 12 are both keyed to the shaft 10 a revolving speed will be imparted to said shaft which is composed by the relative motion of gears 4 and 8, and the angular displacement per unit of time will be Already the simplest form of the gearing speeds, viz: 1. lVith the sun gear 4 as sole operative: the slowest speed, i .1

2. Vith the orbit gear 8 as sole operative: the fastest speed, and

3. lVith the planetary disc 5 operative: an intermediate speed the magnitude of which depends upon the relative proportions between the radii r and 9",, which can be arbitrarily chosen for each specimen of gearing according to thepredeteri'nined use thereof.

A practical design of the gear has shown it desirable to make the largest speed some ten times the smallest one and the relation between the largest and the intermediate speeds some 3 1, viz

- I will, now treatthe cases where, any one of the three parts of the gearing is made stationary when the two others are allowed to revolve. In these cases the two sprocket wheels 11 and 12cannot be rigidly fixed to the shaft 10, but they must be provided with brakes or similar means, so that the one or the other wheel can be released to revolve free on said shaft, or in any other way its transmitting ability be made idle.

4'. In Fig. 3 the brake 29 is made operative and prevents the revolving of the orbit gear 8, the sprocket wheel 11 is released from the shaft 10 and the finger 15 is brought in cooperation with the lug 27 of the planetary pinion disc 5, so that said disc revolves with the driving shaft 2. The motion of the shaft 2 'now will be'transmitted from the disc 5 by the pinions 6 to the centre sun wheel 4ibut with a rolling of the pinions 6 along the stationary outer orbit gear 8, thus imparting to the movable sun wheel 4 a complicated speed,

which is transmitted to the shaft 10 by chain 7 13 and sprocket wheel 12, so that the angular displacement per unit of time becomes cri=i).2.

The brakes 29 and 30 in combination with the releasing-means for the sprocket wheels 11 and 12 have thus made it possible to add two further speeds for the ahead drive.

The brake 31 in Fig. 5 brings forth there- I verse drive which also can be given two-different speeds subject to the momentary position of the clutches which control thecooperation between wheels, 11, 12, and shaft 10. If for instance wheel 11 is released, the pinions 6, revolving about their pins 7, which now are kept stationary by the brake 31, will transmit the motion of the orbit gear 8, re-

volved from shaft 2 by the cooperation between finger 15 and lug28, in the reverse direction to the sun gear 4 and through wheel 14, chain 13 and wheel 12 to the shaft 10. The same will occur with another speed, if wheel 12 is released and gear 4 revolved positively from shaft 2 by means of finger. 15 and lug 26 whereby the pinions 6 will transmit the reverse motion to the outer sun wheel 8, chain 9 and wheel 11 to the shaft 10.

The arrangement in Fig. 5 can be used as a substitute for the whole speed change mechsigned as i:

anism 17 to 23 inclusive, and 28, 28, if the two sprocket wheels 11, 12 are provided with such releasing clutches as mentioned above in combination with the cases 4i and 5. If the shaft is to revolve with a speed depending on the orbit gear 8, the sprocket wheel 12. will bereleased, the fingers 34; brought in cooperation with the holes 35, 36 in disc 5 and pinions 6 respectively, and finger brought to operate the lug 28 of orbit gear 8. The pinions 6 now are pre vented to revolve and the motionis transmitted to gears 11 and 10 exclusively from the gear 8. 1f gear 11 is released and finger 15. caused to operate lug 26 of sun gear 4E when the fingers 3% look the pinions 6 to the disc 5, solely the wheel l is in position to transmit the motion from shaft 2 to shaft- 10. Y'Vhen the gears 11 and 12 are both locked to the shaft 10, the fingers 3d removed from holes and86 and finger 15 made to operate the lug 27 on the planetary pinion disc 5, the mechanism will operate as described above in case 8.

Of course, all the toothed wheels and sprocket wheels can be substituted by friction wheels respectively belt or line pulleys as also the sprocket wheels and chains be substituted by toothed wheels.

Also it is not necessary, that the two gears 8 and (l are of different diameter butt-hey can be of the same diameter provided that their transmission to shaft 10 is of different value, so that the same number of speeds can be obtained as mentioned above. It is evident that in the lastmentioned case these gears must be disposed side by side and the planetary pinions must be given such a width or divided in two coaxial wheels of the same or different diameter, that they mesh with the two gears.

Also the planetary disc 5 can be designed as a sprocket wheel, a toothed wheel, a belt pulley, et cetera, and made to cooperate with a similar wheel on shaft 10 that can be a substitute for one of the wheels ll, 12 and their corresponding chains 9, 13 respectively.

The brakes 29, 30, 31 can also be manipulated such that they only reduce in any desired degree the speed of the r -1spective gears at or 8 or disc 5 without completely stopping the motion thereof, whereby further variations in the speed can be achieved.

Finally i can use the shaft 10 as the driving shaft and the shaft 2 as the driven shaft with out destroying the material point of the invention. hen applied on ordinary cycles the clutches for w ieels 11 and 12 can be deree wheel hub gear.

lVhat I claim as new and want by Letters Patent is V 1. In change speed gear, a driving shaft two gear wheels, acountershaft operableby ach of said gear wheels separate transmitting means having ditierent ratios of to protect gearing, said gear wheels forming two coaxial gear wheels in a planetary gearing, planetary pinions cooperating simultaneously with both the first mentioned gear wheels, and selective means to make operative at will either of the said transmitting means or to simultaneously make operative both of said transmitting means thereby imparting three different speeds from the driving shaft to the counter shaft.

2. In a change speed gear a driving shaft, a planetary gear comprising two coaxial gear wheels, planetary pinions cooperating simultaneously with both the said gear wheels, a rotary member supporting said planetary pinions, a counter shaft operable by each of said gear wheels, two separate transmitting means having different ratios of gearing each connecting one of said gear wheels to said counter-shaft, said planetary gears mounted to revolve independent of the driving shaft, selective means to temporarily connect with the driving shaft at will one or the other of said first mentioned gear wheels or the planetary pinion supporting member thereby causing the counter one transmitting means or the other or simultaneously by both of said transmitting means and thus imparting to the counter shaft three different speeds.

3. In a change speed gear, a driving shaft, a planetary gearing rotatable independently of said driving shaft, said planetary gear comprising two coaxial gear wheels, cooper ating planetary pinionssupported by a rotary member, separate power transmitting means for each of said gear wheels, a counter shaft operable by eachof said two transr-aiir ting means, and selective means provided to temporarily-connect with the driving shaft at will one or the other of said gear wheels or only the planetary pinion supporting mem ber.

4. In a change speed gear, a driving shaft and a driven shaft, a planetary gear rotatable independently. of said shafts, co1npris-.

ing two gear wheels in said planetary gear and planetary pinions supported by a freely rotat-able member, two separate power trans mitting means between the driving shaft and driven shaft each having different ratios of gearing and operated by the planetary gear, selective means to connect the driving shaft with the power transmitting means either through one or the other of said gear wheels or through two gear wheels together.

5. In a change speed gear, a driving shaft and a driven shaft, a planetary gear comprising two gear wheels and interposed planetary pinions, a supporting member for the planetary pinions, selective means to connect at will either the one gear wheel or the other gear wheel or the supporting member for the planetary pinions with the driving shaft, two-power transmitting means between the shaft to be Operated either by i etary gear in such a Way, that depending on In im y where f I hav affiXed my driving shaft and the driven shaft, independgear either solely the one transmitting means ent of each other and having different gear or solely the other transmitting means or siratios, each operatively connected to the mu'ltaneously both transmitting means are planetary gearing and operated by the plan P M IV the momentary position of the selective conslgnatureo H nection between driving shaftand planetary NIELS EDVARD EINAR SORENSEN. 

